Cam Newton
Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He played college football at Auburn and was drafted as the first overall pick by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Newton is the only player in the modern era to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, win a national championship, and become the first overall pick in an NFL draft within a one-year span. He was the 2011 NFL Rookie of the...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionFootball Player
Date of Birth11 May 1989
CityAtlanta, GA
CountryUnited States of America
But yet I don't think I should be labeled just a black quarterback, because it's bigger things in this sport that need to be accomplished.
What happens when you take a lion out of the safari and try to take him to your place of residence and make him a house pet? It ain't going to happen. That's the type of person that I am. I'm that lion.
My dad said, 'Cam, you can make this situation a dream or you can make this situation a nightmare.' That struck a fire under me. That was my drive.
I pray for discretion every single night, that I can see through people, see what their greater good is. Sometimes that individual 'wows' you by the eye, but when it come to heart to heart, that person's not there for you. That's not just females. That may be friends, people who come into your life just to use you for who you are.
My father always wanted me to play a musical instrument, and I never had that type of skill.
I think for me, or for anyone who plays the quarterback position, it's almost an unspoken word when you think about leadership. Some guys can be a leader and be a running back or a lineman, or wide receiver, strong safety, or linebacker. But when you speak of quarterbacks, it's automatically a default that you're supposed to be a leader.
Word of mouth travels faster than anything else.
Music can bring about different vibes on the field, off the field, urban life, going to church, leaving church. Everything the world may bring, there's a song for it to put you in the right frame of mind.
I know when it's getting close to game time, I create a different playlist for each and every game. Before the game, to game time, to warm-ups, going to the stadium, I have a different playlist that puts me in a different mode.
Most of the time, I don't really give people a chance. I have a wall up. I'm always protecting who I am. Thinking about my brand. I make it hard on people. Sometimes, it's a good thing. Sometimes, it's a bad thing.
There are three or four places in the country where people think of fashion: One is L.A., obviously. Another is New York. And I think Atlanta has to be in the top five cities where fashion is very big.
I said on numerous occasions how I feel about my father. I love him with all my heart.
My thing is to execute the given play, execute the game plan to the best of my ability. If the option is for me to make a play when I have to, I will. Or I'll put myself in the best situation to do so.
Because when I go places and I talk to kids and I talk to parents and I talk to athletes all over, and they look at my story and they see a person, African-American or not, they see something that they can relate to.